Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome reflects on 'journey'

NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 03: General manger Ozzie Newsome Jr. of the Baltimore Ravens holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy in the air after the Baltimore Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers to win Super Bowl XLVII on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Rob Tringali/SportsChrome/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 03: General manger Ozzie Newsome Jr. of the Baltimore Ravens holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy in the air after the Baltimore Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers to win Super Bowl

NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 03: General manger Ozzie Newsome Jr. of the Baltimore Ravens holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy in the air after the Baltimore Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers to win Super Bowl XLVII on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Rob Tringali/SportsChrome/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 03: General manger Ozzie Newsome Jr. of the Baltimore Ravens holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy in the air after the Baltimore Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers to win Super Bowl

Newsome will be replaced by highly regarded Ravens assistant general manager Eric DeCosta.

So, this represents Newsome's final NFL scouting combine running the Ravens' scouting efforts. However, Newsome will remain in place as a resource to the organization and DeCosta in a behind-the-scenes role.

“It’s a little bit like when I announced my retirement when I was a player," Newsome said. "I had decided to retire one year and was asked to come back to play another year. It’s very similar to that. You get a chance to get the pats on your back from all the people, from your group, all my peers, on this little journey I'm on."

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Media: Sports Illustrated

Newsome said he will continue to help owner Steve Bisciotti, coach John Harbaugh and DeCosta.

"Very similar to what [DeCosta] has done for me," Newsome said. "I’ll just be a resource for him, a resource for Steve and a resource for [Harbaugh]."

Newsome is feeling a need to turn the Ravens around. The Ravens haven't made the playoffs for three consecutive years and have missed the postseason four times in the past five years

“I don’t like not playing in January,” Newsome said. “We all share the burden.”

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"When I get the product better on the field, I think the fans will show up,” he said.

Five years ago, Bisciotti approached Newsome about putting a deadline in to keep DeCosta, who's been in heavy demand for GM jobs from other teams for years, in place contractually as a GM in waiting.

"Steve came to me, it was one of the times we were down in Jupiter," Newsome said. "He talked about, ‘Hey, I’d love to extend this out for you and to give you an opportunity but also kind of put a deadline as to when Eric was going to be able to take over.’

"There was now a definitive time. It worked out. Five years are going really, really fast, but that’s how it occurred.”

Newsome praised DeCosta and said he's ready to run the team.

"I think with Eric, number one, he’s a very good person," Newsome said. "He’s an excellent talent evaluator. He’s really tough on his thoughts and his opinions, but he’s not stubborn and he’s a very good listener. He’s taken the opportunity.

"He saw us as a very bare bone organization. He’s had a chance to watch how this thing has grown, but he also understands the foundation to how this thing was built.”